A new report covering foster care trends among older children in the U.S. shows some improvements but critical achievement gaps remain.

The Baltimore-based Annie E Casey Foundation's report 'Fostering Youth Transitions 2023 showed over the last 15 years, the number of teenagers in foster care has fallen by about half, and fewer young people are placed in institutional settings such as group homes.

Educational attainment was also highlighted with the report, showing 79% of youth in the foster care system earned a high school diploma or GED by the time they aged out of the system at 21, compared to 92% of their peers in the general population.

Many states offer extended foster care for youths between 18 and 21, and the report found better educational outcomes among those who use extended foster care.

Todd Lloyd, senior policy associate for the Annie E. Casey Foundation, said advocates are encouraging states to promote the practice.

"So we really encourage states to consider ways that they can encourage young people to remain in foster care after the age of 18 if they don't have a permanent family," Lloyd explained. "But we've seen nationally that the utilization of extended foster care after the age of 18 is actually very low."

The report data from 2021 showed only 22% of those in foster care on their 18th birthday remained in foster care on their 19th birthday. In Maryland, the number was far higher, with 52% still in foster care at age 19.

Despite the reduction in the overall number of teens in foster care in the U.S., the report found agencies were not better able to deliver services to help with the transition to adulthood to the smaller population. Transition services include educational financial assistance, vocational training, K-12 academic support, as well as mentoring and life skills training.

Lloyd added the report found few teens are receiving the federally funded services for which they are eligible.

"Even though there are fewer young people in foster care, less than half of young people who are eligible will ever receive services to support their transition to adulthood," Lloyd pointed out. "In a given year, less than a quarter who are eligible actually receive any services."

While Maryland saw above average numbers of teens in foster care receiving educational financial assistance and room and board support, critical areas such as vocational training, life skills, mentoring and K-12 academic support all saw percentages participating in the single digits.

The report found the reasons teens enter the foster care system are also changing. In 2006 "behavior problems" were cited in 49% of cases, while in 2021 it was down to 30%. "Neglect" is now the most common reason for placing children in the foster care system, cited in 48% of cases in 2021.

Lloyd contended it suggests with a greater application of state support, more families might be able to stay together.

"The issues of neglect are often related to economic security," Lloyd observed. "The hope is that child welfare agencies can work with families to help them remediate those issues of economic challenge and provide the kind of concrete supports that they need to address those concerns."

This Sunday is the 60th anniversary of Head Start, the federally funded preschool program supporting more than 12,000 children, up to age four, in Washington and nearly 800,000 children across the country.

Although cuts to Head Start are not specifically included in the Trump administration's most recent budget proposal, some locations have faced funding delays this year, leaving them nervous about the program's future.

Ashly Hyatt has three children in Head Start in Spokane, and is a parent ambassador alumna. She is currently in school to become a teacher and said without Head Start, her life would look very different.

"I wouldn't be in school, it wouldn't be possible," Hyatt pointed out. "Three children in day care is going to be close to $3,500. My husband works 60 to 80 hours a week right now as it is, and it's tight."

Hyatt added Head Start has done so much for her children, she was inspired to get involved in advocacy work. Washington Head Start is completely federally funded, and received about $200 million last year.

Roy Chrobocinski, managing director of domestic policy at Save the Children US, which runs Head Start programs in several states, said he is focused on reminding Congress about the bipartisan support Head Start has enjoyed for the last 60 years, and stressed the program is about much more than child care.

"It also provides medical assistance, dental visits, nutrition assistance," Chrobocinski outlined. "Two meals and a snack every day."

Head Start is often the only child care option in rural areas, Chrobocinski emphasized. Without funding, parents would not be able to work, affecting their families and local economies. He pointed out currently, only about a third of eligible families are able to receive services due to limited funding.

"There needs to be a significant increase in Head Start funding in order to ensure that more families who are eligible are able to participate in this life-changing program," Chrobocinski contended.

He underscored child care disruptions already cost the economy an estimated $122 billion annually.

With the end of the state legislative session in sight, Connecticut lawmakers are moving closer to establishing a permanent child tax credit.

The 2025 legislative session has seen several child tax credit bills circulate, offering differing levels of rebate. The current proposal has moved out of committee as part of the state budget bill and would establish a $150 per child credit, capped at $450.

Lisa Tepper Bates, president and CEO of the United Way of Connecticut, said her organization has been advocating for a state child tax credit, which she noted has widespread support.

"We've gained some ground on creating a child tax credit at the state level," Tepper Bates pointed out. "There is legislation with the support of an enormous number of the members of the House of Representatives and supporters in the state Senate who want to see this done and they want to see it done this legislative session."

The credit would be available for single filers making up to $100,000 per year, $160,000 for heads of household, and $200,000 for joint filers.

Data published by United Way show nearly 40% of Connecticut households are living paycheck to paycheck. Among those are households considered as ALICE, an acronym for those who are Asset Limited and Income Constrained but Employed. Categorizing households in this way attempts to capture the financial circumstances of working people who are above the poverty level but still cannot afford the basics such as housing, food, health care and child care.

Tepper Bates noted while rents are high in the state, in many households it is not the biggest financial burden.

"Our ALICE research shows that child care for families with small children can be their single biggest cost center," Tepper Bates reported. "This is an important point to understand because we now know that in Connecticut, the cost of child care for many of these families is becoming simply unsustainable."

The scarce availability of child care is pushing costs higher, with recent data showing 80% of the state's licensed family child care centers are operating at capacity, a 6% increase over the year prior.


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A North Dakota task force raising awareness about child sexual abuse is close to wrapping up its work and its leader said she hopes more communities use every tool to ensure kids are raised in a safe environment.

By state law, the task force is scheduled to dissolve on June 30.

Lindsey Burkhardt, director of the task force, said a key accomplishment was creating a pair of guides, one for families and another for schools and youth service groups, which lay out the best prevention practices and resources to turn to.

Burkhardt acknowledged they are still fighting misconceptions, like the idea children are most often abused by strangers, and stressed it is why the conversations are important.

"What are protective strategies that we can teach our children to help empower them to help keep them safe?" Burkhardt asked.

Burkhardt noted evidence of misconceptions surfaced in a pilot project in Richland County. Among those surveyed, 25% of residents said they did not believe child sexual abuse happened within the county. At the end of the project, the number improved to 20% but Burkhardt argued it highlights the need for further community education.

Burkhardt emphasized there is a strong body of research showing a child who is sexually abused is at risk of mental health disorders and survivors are likely to experience a range of conditions and behaviors affecting their quality of life.

"Depression, chronic anxiety, PTSD, along with relationship and attachment issues," Burkhardt outlined.

Burkhardt added it is hard to fully measure the task force's effect but pointed to adoption of their prevention guides as a way to show their work connected with some audiences. It included requests from the North Dakota court system to use them when training parent investigators.


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